District of New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – Oscar Anchondo, 40, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 100 months in prison for his conviction on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and the armed robbery of two Albuquerque-area convenience stores that were engaged in interstate commerce. Anchondo will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.

 

Anchondo was arrested in Oct. 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Oct. 6, 2015, in Sandoval County, N.M. According to the criminal complaint, on Oct. 6, 2015, a resident of the Town of Bernalillo called the Bernalillo Police Department to report a stolen vehicle. The victim reported that Anchondo stole the vehicle after threatening to kill her, and that Anchondo was armed when he made the threat. Officers responded to the call and located the vehicle parked in the driveway of another residence in Bernalillo. In response to an inquiry from the officers, an occupant of the residence said that Anchondo was in the residence.

 

Anchondo was subsequently indicted on the same charge on Dec. 17, 2015. According to court records, on Oct. 6, 2015, Anchondo was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of the following felony offenses in state court: armed robbery with a deadly weapon, attempted robbery with a deadly weapon, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

 

On Sept. 6, 2016, Anchondo entered a guilty plea to the indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and to a felony information charging him with two counts of violating the Hobbs Act. In entering the guilty plea, Anchondo admitted the following criminal conduct:

• On Sept. 29, 2015, Anchondo entered the Giant convenience store located at 6100 San Mateo Blvd. NE in Albuquerque, threatened the store employees with a firearm, demanded money, and robbed the employee of cash.

• On Sept. 29, 2015, Anchondo entered the 7-Eleven convenience store located at 1801 San Pedro Dr. NE in Albuquerque, threatened the store employees with a firearm, demanded money, and robbed the employee of cash.

• On Oct. 6, 2015, Anchondo was in possession of a firearm during a standoff with police who were attempting to arrest him for the offense charged in the criminal complaint, and that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.

 

This case was investigated by the ATF office in Albuquerque and the Bernalillo Police Department with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and the Rio Rancho Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley under a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

ALBUQUERQUE – Kirk Simplicio, 24, a member and resident of Zuni Pueblo, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Santa Fe, N.M., to 16 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction on a sexual abuse of a minor charge. Simplicio will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.

 

Simplicio was arrested on March 17, 2015, on an indictment charging him with sexually abusing a minor who was between 12 and 16 years of age. According to the indictment, Simplicio committed the crime on Jan. 1, 2014, on Zuni Pueblo in McKinley County, N.M.

 

On May 26, 2016, Simplicio pled guilty to the indictment and admitted engaging in a sexual act with the victim, who was 14 years old and at least four years younger than Simplicio.

 

This case was investigated by the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle T. Nayback.

ALBUQUERQUE – Isaac Joshua Salas, 25, of Roswell, N.M., was sentenced yesterday afternoon in Las Cruces, N.M., to 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for violating the federal firearms laws.

 

Salas was arrested on Nov. 13, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of a firearm silencer not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) on Nov. 12, 2015, in Chaves County, N.M. According to the complaint, law enforcement officers found several firearms, ammunition, silencers, pre-cursors for homemade explosives, chemicals and books on how to make bombs while executing a search warrant at Salas’ residence. A subsequent search of the NFRTR determined that Salas did not have any weapons registered to him in the NFRTR.

 

On April 20, 2016, Salas pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of an unregistered firearm or destructive device without the benefit of a plea agreement. In entering the guilty plea, Salas admitted possessing an unregistered pipe bomb. Court documents indicate that several firearms, ammunition, magazines, pressure cookers, detonation cord, ammonium nitrate and numerous items that could be used to make explosive devices were found in Salas’ bedroom together with books on how to make weapons.

 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Roswell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Lelander Mays, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Red Mesa, Utah, pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an involuntary manslaughter charge.

 

Mays was arrested in Dec. 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with involuntary manslaughter. According to the complaint, Mays killed a man when Mays crashed his vehicle on Dec. 6, 2016, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M. At the time of the crash, Mays was driving under the influence of alcohol and the victim, who was a passenger in Mays’ vehicle, was thrown from the vehicle.

 

Mays was subsequently indicted on Dec. 20, 2016, and charged with involuntary manslaughter.

 

During today’s proceedings, Mays pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, Mays faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI, the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Joshua Nestle, 26, of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to methamphetamine trafficking charges. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Nestle will be sentenced to 140 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

 

Nestle and co-defendant Joclyn Telles, 35, also of Las Cruces, were arrested in Feb. 2017, and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The complaint also charged Nestle with being a felon in possession of a firearm and with using and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The criminal complaint alleged that the defendants committed the crimes on June 29, 2016, in Dona Ana County, N.M. According to the complaint, law enforcement officers arrested Nestle and Telles on outstanding arrest warrants following a traffic stop. During a search incident to the arrests, the officers found approximately 2.6 ounces of methamphetamine and a firearm in Telles’ vehicle.

 

During today’s proceedings, Nestle pled guilty to a felony information charging him with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Nestle admitted that on June 29, 2016, he conspired with others to violate the federal drug trafficking laws. He also admitted possessing the 2.6 ounces of methamphetamine found in his vehicle and acknowledged that he intended to distribute the drugs to others. Nestle further admitted that on March 9, 2017, he possessed a controlled substance while he was incarcerated at the Dona Ana County Detention Center. Nestle remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

 

Telles remains in custody on the charges in the criminal complaint. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.

 

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Saltman of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.

ALBUQUERQUE – Cornelia Tom Tapaha, 41, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Shiprock, N.M., was sentenced today in Santa Fe, N.M., to 24 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for her conviction on an assault charge.

 

Tapaha was arrested in June 2016, on an indictment charging her with assault with a dangerous weapon, a vehicle, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The indictment alleged that Tapaha committed the crimes on July 8, 2015, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M.

 

A federal jury returned a verdict finding Tapaha guilty of assault and assault resulting in serious bodily injury on Dec. 12, 2016, after a five day.

 

The evidence at trial established that on the evening of July 8, 2016, Tapaha, the victim and another individual consumed alcohol while driving on the Navajo Indian Reservation. While Tapaha was driving and the victim was in the front passenger seat, Tapaha and the victim began arguing. Eventually Tapaha pulled over, and the victim and the other individual got out of the vehicle and began walking away. Tapaha remained in the vehicle and proceeded to run over the victim. As a result of this assault, the victim’s ribs, collar bone and ankle were broken and required surgical repair. The victim also suffered multiple lacerations requiring stitches.

 

This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Shiprock office of the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Spindle and Novaline D. Wilson prosecuted the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Jonathan Dan Clyde, 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Gallup, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to six months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his assault conviction.

 

Clyde was arrested in Feb. 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury on Jan. 21, 2017, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M. According to the complaint, Clyde assaulted a Navajo woman by pushing her to the floor, kicking and punching her in the face, slamming her face into the floor, choking her, and kicking her left arm. The victim suffered serious injuries that required her to be transferred to the hospital in a medevac airplane.

 

On March 3, 2017, Clyde pled guilty to an information charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. In entering the guilty plea, Clyde admitted that on Jan. 21, 2017, he assaulted the victim by striking and beating her face and body after an argument. Clyde further admitted that the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.

 

This case was investigated by the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety and was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy B. Solimon. The case was brought pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.

ALBUQUERQUE – Robert T. Maestas, 25, an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo who resides in Pagueate, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an assault by strangulation charge.

 

Maestas was arrested on March 17, 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with domestic assault by a habitual offender and assault of an intimate partner by strangulation. According to the complaint, on Feb. 10, 2017, in the Laguna Pueblo within Cibola County, N.M., Maestas assaulted the victim, a Laguna Pueblo woman, by holding her neck against a car door with his forearm prohibiting her from breathing, and by striking her on the chest and shoulder.

 

Maestas was indicted on March 28, 2017, and charged with domestic assault by a habitual offender and assault of an intimate partner by strangulation or suffocating. According to the indictment, Maestas was previously convicted in the Laguna Tribal Court of domestic violence in Dec. 2011 and Jan. 2012.

 

During today’s proceedings, Maestas pled guilty to Count 2 of the indictment charging him with assault of an intimate partner by strangulation. In entering the guilty plea, Maestas admitted that on Feb. 10, 2017, he brandished a shotgun at the victim and assaulted the victim by grabbing her throat with his hand and applying pressure to cause pain, striking her rib and chest area, and using his forearm to apply pressure to her neck prohibiting her from breathing. Maestas further admitted that the victim suffered physical pain as well as bruising and marks to her forearms, neck, chest and shoulder as the result of the assault.

 

At sentencing, Maestas faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA Office of Justice Services and the Pueblo of Laguna Tribal Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy B. Solimon is prosecuting the case pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.

ALBUQUERQUE – Jesus Omar Morales-Anguiano, 35, of Hesperia, Calif., was sentenced today in Albuquerque, N.M., to 60 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for his narcotics trafficking conviction.

 

Morales-Anguiano was arrested in July 2015, after law enforcement officers found approximately 394.09 grams (.86 pounds) of heroin, 29.66 grams (.06 pounds) of cocaine and 28.46 grams (.06 pounds) of methamphetamine in his vehicle during a traffic stop. According to the criminal complaint, Maestas agreed to have a narcotics canine inspect his vehicle, and after the canine alerted to the presence of drugs, the officers located the wrapped packages concealed in the vehicle’s stereo unit.

 

Morales-Anguiano was subsequently indicted on Aug. 12, 2015, and charged with possession of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine with intent to distribute on July 21, 2015, in Bernalillo County, N.M.

 

Morales-Anguiano entered a guilty plea to the indictment on Dec. 20, 2016, and admitted that on July 21, 2015, he possessed heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine while he was driving to Albuquerque from California. Morales-Anguiano further admitted that he was to be paid when he arrived back in California.

 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Letitia C. Simms prosecuted the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.

 

The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.

ALBUQUERQUE – Joe J. Zambrano, 55, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Santa Fe, N.M., to six months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for his conviction on a misdemeanor charge of assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer in the performance of their official duties.

 

Zambrano was charged in a criminal complaint with assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers, and providing false information to law enforcement officers on Jan. 15, 2017, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the criminal complaint, on Jan. 15, 2017, Zambrano attempted to use his vehicle as a weapon against Park Rangers of the National Park Service during a routine traffic stop within the Petroglyph National Monument. Zambrano then provided a false name, birthdate and social security number to the Park Rangers in response to their request for Zambrano’s identification information.

 

Zambrano subsequently was charged by a misdemeanor information on Jan. 18, 2017, with assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer. On March 1, 2017, Zambrano pled guilty to the information. and admitted that on Jan. 15, 2017, he nearly struck a Park Rangers with his vehicle while attempting to flee from two Park Rangers. Zambrano further admitted that he ignored the Park Rangers’ verbal commands that he stop his vehicle.

 

This case was investigated by the National Park Service and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez.

ALBUQUERQUE – Joseph Cordova, 30, of Chamisal, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an Oxycodone trafficking charge. The plea agreement recommends that Cordova be sentenced to a 48-month prison sentence followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

 

Cordova was arrested on Sept. 30, 2016, on an indictment charging him with possessing Oxycodone, heroin, cocaine and methadone with intent to distribute. The indictment alleged that Cordova committed the crimes on June 5, 2016, in Taos County, N.M.

 

During today’s proceedings, Cordova pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with possessing Oxycodone with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Cordova admitted that on June 5, 2016, officers of the New Mexico State Police found more than 1,000 Oxycodone pills while searching Cordova’s vehicle. Cordova admitted that he intended to distribute the pills to others. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter J. Eicker is prosecuting the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.

 

The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.

ALBUQUERQUE – Elias Sanchez, 36, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office

 

Sanchez was charged as the result of an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. The investigation began in mid-April 2016, when ATF personnel from throughout the country joined forces with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to combat the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The investigators utilized a number of investigative techniques, including undercover operations, historical investigation and targeting of multi-convicted felons in possession of firearms.

 

The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

 

Sanchez was charged in an indictment filed on June 30, 2016, with distributing methamphetamine on May 25, 2016 and June 3, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. During today’s proceedings, Sanchez pled guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine and admitted that on May 25, 2016, he sold methamphetamine to another person. At sentencing, Sanchez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

 

To date, 53 of the 104 defendants have entered guilty pleas and 18 have been sentenced. The remaining defendants have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.

 

These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Han.

ALBUQUERQUE – Marcus Bernard Harris, 22, of Detroit, Mich., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a methamphetamine trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
 

Harris and his codefendants Lewayne Deray Jennings, 28, of Southfield, Mich., and Jerrell Leveine Whitman-Crutcher, II, 31, of Warren, Mich., were arrested on Dec. 28, 2016, and charged with methamphetamine trafficking offenses after the DEA and New Mexico State Police (NMSP) seized a total of 9.8 kilograms (21.6 pounds) of methamphetamine during an interdiction investigation at the Greyhound Bus Station. The methamphetamine was allegedly concealed in various bundles inside luggage.

 

Harris and his codefendants were subsequently indicted on Jan. 24, 2017, and charged with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Dec. 28, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M.

 

During today’s proceedings, Harris pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and admitted transporting methamphetamine to Albuquerque on a Greyhound bus by concealing the methamphetamine in his luggage.

 

At sentencing, Harris faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

 

Jennings and Whitman-Crutcher have entered pleas of not guilty to the charges against them. Criminal charges are merely accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Walsh is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Gary Lee Romero, 32, of Santa Clara, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 63 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction.

 

Romero is one of twelve defendants charged with methamphetamine trafficking offenses as the result of a multi-agency investigation targeting a drug trafficking organization led by Daniel Lee Jacquez, 35, of Silver City, that distributed methamphetamine in Grant County, N.M. The investigation concluded in April 2015 with the filing of a 34-count indictment against Romero, Jacquez and nine co-defendants.

 

The indictment charged the 12 defendants with participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy and committing a series of substantive drug trafficking offenses and a firearms offense. According to the indictment, the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine in Grant County from March 2014 through April 2015. Eight counts charged certain defendants with distributing or possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and 24 counts charge certain defendants with using communications devices (telephones) to facilitate drug trafficking crimes. The indictment also charged one defendant with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

 

Romero pled guilty on July 13, 2016, to a felony information charging him with participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, and admitted working with his co-defendants to distribute approximately 500 grams to 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in Silver City between March 2015 and April 2015.

 

All of Romero’s co-defendants, including Jacquez, have entered guilty pleas. Jacquez was sentenced on April 27, 2017, to 108 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release; Crystal Medina Gomez, 51, of Silver City, was sentenced on March 29, 2017, to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; and Anthony R. Davila, 26, of Santa Clara, was sentenced on Feb. 21, 2017, to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The remaining co-defendants are currently awaiting sentencing hearings.

 

The case was investigated by the Las Cruces offices of the DEA, HSI and FBI with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard C. Williams of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting this case.

 

The investigation leading to the filing of charges in this case was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.

ALBUQUERQUE – Candace Tapia, 22, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office

 

Candace Tapia and her codefendants Gaspar Leal, 47, Bernadette Aurora Tapia, 49, and Brandon Candelaria, 22, were charged as the result of an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. The investigation began in mid-April 2016, when ATF personnel from throughout the country joined forces with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to combat the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The investigators utilized a number of investigative techniques, including undercover operations, historical investigation and targeting of multi-convicted felons in possession of firearms.

 

The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

 

Candace Tapia and her co-defendants were charged by indictment on July 12, 2016, with conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine on June 8, 2016, in Bernalillo County.

 

During today’s proceedings, Candace Tapia pled guilty to an information charging her with distribution of methamphetamine and admitted that on June 8, 2016, she distributed methamphetamine to another person. At sentencing, Candace Tapia faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

 

To date, 52 of the 104 defendants have entered guilty pleas and 18 have been sentenced, including Bernadette Aurora Tapia. The remaining defendants, including Leal and Candelaria, have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.

 

These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado.

ALBUQUERQUE – Ethan Guillen, 18, of Albuquerque, N.M., made his initial appearance today in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with possessing a destructive device not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). Guillen remains in custody pending a preliminary hearing and detention hearing, both of which are scheduled for tomorrow.

 

Guillen is charged in a criminal complaint with possessing a destructive device not registered to him in the NFRTR on May 31, 2017, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the complaint, Guillen allegedly created a destructive device out of a pressure cooker filled with black energizable material, nuts and bolts, fuse and a plastic bag containing clear rubber material. The complaint further alleges that Guillen then placed the homemade destructive device, which was plugged into an appliance timer, under the victim’s bed,

 

If convicted of the charge in the criminal complaint, Guillen faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Thomas is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Valerie Cayatineto, 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Crownpoint, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an involuntary manslaughter charge.

 

Cayatineto was arrested in Jan. 2017, on a criminal complaint charging her with involuntary manslaughter. According to the complaint, Cayatineto killed a Navajo man when she crashed her vehicle head-on into the victim’s vehicle on Dec. 9, 2016, on the Navajo Indian reservation in McKinley County, N.M. At the time of the crash, Cayatineto was driving under the influence of alcohol.

 

Cayatineto subsequently was indicted on Feb. 7, 2017, and charged with involuntary manslaughter.

 

During today’s proceedings, Cayatineto pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, Cayatineto faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Dimas is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Jarvis Johnson, 28, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 70 months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Johnson will be on supervised release for three years following his term of imprisonment.

 

Johnson was arrested on Dec. 16, 2015, on a five-count indictment charging him with unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition on June 1, 2015, June 2, 2015, and Sept. 16, 2015, and distributing methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana on June 2, 2015. According to the indictment, Johnson was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony conviction for distribution of methamphetamine.

 

On Jan. 20, 2017, Johnson pled guilty to a felony information charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. In entering the guilty plea, Johnson admitted that on Sept. 16, 2015, in Bernalillo County, N.M., he sold three firearms and multiple rounds of ammunition to an undercover law enforcement agent. Johnson acknowledged being prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony conviction.

 

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana B. Long prosecuted the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Marc Wren, 49, of Odessa, Texas, pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a methamphetamine trafficking charge. Wren entered the guilty plea under a plea agreement that recommends a sentence of 70 to 87 months of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

 

Wren was charged by a criminal complaint filed on April 20, 2016, with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on March 26, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. Wren subsequently was indicted on that same charge on May 10, 2016.

 

According to court documents, Wren was arrested following a traffic stop after law enforcement officers determined that there was an outstanding arrest warrant for him in Texas. During a search incident to the arrest, the officers learned that Wren was in possession of approximately 107.6 grams of methamphetamine, which he had concealed in his pant leg.

 

During today’s proceedings, Wren pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on March 26, 2016, he was in possession of methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute to others. Wren remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Letitia C. Simms.

ALBUQUERQUE – Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division announced today that Jesse Denver Hanes, who allegedly shot and killed Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez on Aug. 12, 2016, has entered a guilty plea to federal firearms and carjacking offenses arising out of his efforts to evade arrest following the shooting. Hanes, 39, of Columbus, Ohio, entered the guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Robert C. Brack in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., under a plea agreement that stipulates to a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of release.

 

Third Judicial District Attorney Mark D’Antonio, Chief James Gimler of the Hatch Police Department, Chief Pete N. Kassetas of the New Mexico State Police, and Doña Ana County Sheriff Enrique Vigil joined Acting U.S. Attorney Tierney and FBI Special Agent in Charge Wade in announcing the guilty plea.

 

In announcing the guilty plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Tierney said, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office has made a commitment to prosecute those who seek to harm the courageous officers who put their lives on the line to protect us and safeguard our communities whenever there is federal jurisdiction to do so. This federal prosecution is part of that commitment, and today we begin the process of holding Jesse Denver Hanes accountable for the federal crimes he committed during his extremely violent crime spree on Aug. 12, 2016.”

 

“Whenever a brave police officer like Jose Chavez dies in the line of duty, everyone in the law enforcement community feels the loss,” said Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division. “Officer Chavez's sacrifice has inspired all of us who wear the badge to renew our resolve to serve and protect our nation. I am grateful to the many FBI agents and staff, along with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, who worked tirelessly on this case to make sure justice was done.”

 

During today’s change of plea hearing, Hanes pled guilty to a five-count superseding indictment that charged him with attempted carjacking; brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence; carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury; discharging a firearm during a crime of violence; and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hanes admitted committing the five crimes on Aug. 12, 2016, in Doña Ana County, N.M. At the time, Hanes was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.

 

Hanes was arrested Aug. 16, 2016, on a federal criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, carjacking, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. According to court filings, on Aug. 12, 2016, Officer Chavez executed a traffic stop in Hatch, N.M., on a vehicle driven by Hanes and in which two other men were passengers. During the traffic stop, Hanes allegedly shot Officer Chavez in the upper torso; Officer Chavez later died as the result of the gunshot wound. After fleeing from the scene of the shooting, Hanes and his passengers parted company and Hanes traveled to a rest area near Radium Springs, N.M., where he attempted to carjack two individuals by brandishing a firearm at them. Shortly thereafter, Hanes carjacked a man at the same rest area by shooting him in the leg and drove away in the injured man’s vehicle. When deputies of the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office arrested Hanes later that day, they found the handgun Hanes used to shoot the carjack victim and allegedly used to shoot Officer Chavez.

 

In addition to the federal charges to which Hanes pled guilty today, Hanes is charged in the state with first-degree murder of Officer Chavez and related crimes in the Third Judicial District Court for the State of New Mexico in Doña Ana County. Hanes also is facing an unrelated state murder charge in Ohio. Hanes has entered a not guilty plea to the state charges in New Mexico and has not yet been arraigned on the charges in Ohio. Criminal charges are merely accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Under the terms of the federal plea agreement entered into by Hanes and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Hanes’ federal sentence of life imprisonment will run concurrent to any sentence Hanes may receive on a conviction on the state charges in the New Mexico case.

Third Judicial District Attorney Mark D’Antonio said, "The best approach to deterring criminal activity is when the federal government and local law enforcement agencies work together closely. This is a fine example of that cooperation in action, and what we are able to accomplish when we work together."

 

“The cooperative effort between law enforcement agencies has made our communities safer,” said New Mexico State Police Chief Pete Kassetas. “This case is a great example of how local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are working with State District Attorneys and the U.S. Attorney to prosecute violent criminals. I cannot express my gratitude enough to all the agencies involved.”

 

“From the moment this tragic incident first hit our police radios on August 12, we knew the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department wasn’t alone,” said Doña Ana County Sheriff Enrique Vigil. “The efforts of every responding agency reinforced what our deputies do every day – ensure the safety of our residents. The collaboration of those efforts is what ensures criminals like Jesse Hanes receive the maximum sentence possible for their actions.”

 

Chief James Gimler of the Hatch Police Department said, “I am very pleased that justice is being served in this case and that the victims of Mr. Hanes’ crimes will be spared the emotional difficulty of sitting through his trial. Mr. Hanes’ crimes have forever changed the lives of his victims and their family members, and I am extremely grateful for all of the support from my fellow law enforcement officers and the entire community.”

 

The federal case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI, Hatch Police Department, Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State Police, with assistance from the 3rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. The following agencies also assisted in the investigation: the Albuquerque and El Paso offices of the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, Las Cruces Police Department, El Paso (Texas) County Sheriff’s Office and El Paso (Texas) Police Department.

 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting the federal case against Hanes as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their felony conviction records for federal prosecution with the goal of removing violent, repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

ALBUQUERQUE – Brian Clayton Charles, 49, of Tucson, Ariz., made his initial appearance yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico that charges him with assaulting a federal law enforcement officer and mailing threatening communications,

 

Charles was arrested in Tucson on May 24, 2017, on a criminal complaint alleging that he retaliated against a federal law enforcement official by sending threatening mail to the personal residence of an officer of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) who is commissioned as a Special Federal Officer by the U.S. Marshals Service. The criminal complaint also charges Charles with mailing threatening communications to five other APD officers in Sept. 2016 and Oct. 2016.

 

According to the criminal complaint, the Diplomatic Security Service of the U.S. Department of State initiated an investigation into Charles after he allegedly mailed a letter, which was postmarked March 24, 2016, to the home address of then Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington D.C., which threatened to harm the Secretary of State. The complaint alleges that Charles previously had mailed threatening communications to numerous other federal government officials in addition to communications threatening APD officers.

 

During yesterday’s proceedings in Tucson, waived his right to a detention hearing and remains in custody pending transfer to New Mexico to face the criminal charges against him.

 

If convicted of the charges in the criminal complaint, Charles faces the following statutory maximum penalties: six years in prison for retaliating against a federal law enforcement official; five years in prison on each count of the five counts for mailing threatening communications; and ten years in prison for assaulting a federal officer. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Inspector General with assistance from APD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Paul J. Harry, 32, of Carlsbad, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

 

Harry was arrested on Jan. 17, 2017, and charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of a firearm not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) on May 2, 2016, in Chaves County, N.M. According to the complaint, Harry was arrested on an outstanding warrant for failing to comply with probation following a routine traffic stop. Law enforcement officers subsequently executed a state search warrant on Harry’s vehicle and seized a sawed off rifle, which was not registered to Harry in the NFRTR, and ammunition.

 

Harry was indicted on April 19, 2017, and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Harry previously had been convicted of burglary.

 

During today’s proceedings, Harry pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on May 2, 2016, he possessed a short-barreled rifle. Harry further admitted that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.

 

At sentencing, Harry faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Roswell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brock E. Taylor of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

 

ALBUQUERQUE – Pascual Cerpa-Coy, 55, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a cocaine trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

 

Cerpa-Coy was arrested in Jan. 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute on Jan. 19, 2017, in Bernalillo County, N.M. Cerpa-Coy subsequently was indicted on the same charge on Feb. 7, 2017.

 

According to court documents, Cerpa-Coy was arrested after the Crimes Against Children Unit of the Albuquerque Police Department found approximately one kilogram of cocaine and drug paraphernalia at his residence while executing a state search warrant as part of an investigation of juvenile sexual abuse.

 

During today’s proceedings, Cerpa-Coy entered a guilty plea to the indictment and admitted possessing more than 500 grams of cocaine on Jan. 19, 2017, that he intended to distribute to others. At sentencing, Cerpa-Coy faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and APD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley is prosecuting the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

ALBUQUERQUE – This morning in Las Cruces, N.M., Michael Ray Sepulveda, 38, of Silver City, N.M., pled guilty to federal child exploitation and child pornography charges. The plea agreement recommends a sentence within the range of 20 to 25 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Sepulveda will be required to continue to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.

 

Sepulveda was arrested on Oct. 28, 2016, on a criminal complaint alleging that he enticed a child to engage in sexual activity and to produce child pornography, which was transmitted in interstate commerce. According to the criminal complaint, Sepulveda committed these crimes between July 2015 and Nov. 2015. Court filings reflect that law enforcement authorities began investigating Sepulveda for the alleged crimes in the summer of 2016, immediately after learning about his crimes while investigating other conduct.

 

According to the criminal complaint, Sepulveda used an online social networking website to engage in sexually explicit communications with an underage minor (victim) between July 2015 and Nov. 2015. In these communications, Sepulveda, who pretended to be a 16-year-old girl, sent sexually explicit photographs to the victim and persuaded the victim to send him sexually explicit photographs of the victim to Sepulveda. Sepulveda also attempted unsuccessfully to meet with the victim for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity.

 

During today’s proceedings, Sepulveda pled guilty to a felony information charging him with child exploitation and receipt of child pornography. In entering the guilty plea, Sepulveda admitted that between July 29, 2015 and Nov. 15, 2015, he attempted to persuade the victim, a minor, to produce pornographic images of the victim and attempted to meet the victim to engage in sexual activity through a social media website. Sepulveda further admitted that while communicating with the victim, Sepulveda claimed to be a teenage female. Sepulveda admitted sending the victim images of female genitalia and heterosexual pornography and having sexually explicit conversations with the victim in an effort to induce the victim to produce child pornography for Sepulveda. According to the plea agreement, between July 29, 2015 and Nov. 15, 2015, in response to Sepulveda’s requests for sexually explicit photos of the victim, the victim sent five pornographic images depicting the victim to Sepulveda.

 

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Sepulveda will be prohibited from using or accessing the social media website he used to facilitate his criminal activity, and if Sepulveda wishes to become a member of, visit, or access any other social media website he must seek prior approval from his probation officer. Sepulveda also will be required to pay $15,000 in restitution to the victims of his crimes. Sepulveda remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and the Las Cruces offices of FBI and HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Segovia of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

 

The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.

ALBUQUERQUE – Julian King, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Vanderwagon, N.M., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 24 months in prison for his conviction on a federal child abuse charge. King will be on supervised release for a year after completing his prison sentence.

 

King was charged by felony information on Jan. 19, 2017, with abusing a child abuse from March 1, 2011 through April 13, 2011, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M.

 

King pled guilty to the information on Jan. 19, 2017. In entering the guilty plea, King admitted that between March 12, 2011 and April 6, 2011 he abused a seven-month old infant by striking the infant on the head and causing the infant’s head to strike a wall. King further admitted that the instances of abuse were intentional and with enough force to cause injury to the child.

 

This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall.

ALBUQUERQUE – Octavio Herrera, 54, of Ruidoso Downs, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 60 months in prison for his conviction on a methamphetamine trafficking charge. Herrera will be on supervised release for four years following his prison sentence

 

Herrera was one of 34 individuals charged in December 2015, with federal and tribal drug offenses as the result of an 18-month multi-agency investigation led by the DEA and BIA into methamphetamine trafficking on the Mescalero Apache Reservation. Eighteen defendants, including five members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe and 13 non-Natives were charged in six federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint. Sixteen other members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe were charged in tribal criminal complaints approved by the Mescalero Apache Tribal Court.

 

The investigation leading to the federal and tribal charges was initiated in May 2014, in response to an increase in violent crime on the Mescalero Apache Reservation perpetrated by methamphetamine users. The investigation initially targeted a drug trafficking organization that was allegedly distributing methamphetamine within the Reservation, and later expanded to include two other drug trafficking organizations in southeastern New Mexico that allegedly served as sources of supply for the methamphetamine distributed within the Reservation. In Aug. 2014, the investigation was designated as part of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, which combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. The investigation is one of the first OCDETF investigations to utilize electronic surveillance (wiretaps) in Indian Country. More than ten kilograms of methamphetamine were seized during the course of the investigation.

 

Herrera was arrested in Sept. 2016, on an indictment charging him and co-defendants Rumaldo Varela Enriquez, 46, a Mexican national, and Johnny Flowers, 51, of Hobbs, N.M., with methamphetamine trafficking offenses. The indictment charged Herrera with participation in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and three counts of use of a communication facility in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

 

On Jan. 11, 2017, Herrera pled guilty to conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Herrera admitted that between March 4, 2015 and March 12, 2015, he conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Hobbs and Lovington, N.M. Herrera also admitted that on March 12, 2015, he possessed 230.1 grams of methamphetamine which he intended to distribute to others.

 

Enriquez pled guilty on Sept. 9, 2016, and was sentenced on March 21, 2017 to 57 months in prison and will be deported following his prison sentence. Flowers pled guilty on Nov. 9, 2016, and was sentenced yesterday to time served followed by two years of supervised release.

 

The federal and tribal cases were investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA, District IV of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services (Mescalero Agency), BIA’s Division of Drug Enforcement, Mescalero Tribal Police Department, Hatch Police Department, FBI and Lea County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terri J. Abernathy of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the federal cases, and Mescalero Tribal Prosecutor Melissa Chavez is prosecuting the tribal cases.

ALBUQUERQUE – Enrique S. Cavazos, 31, of Tijeras, N.M., entered a guilty plea today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to marijuana trafficking and money laundering charges under a plea agreement that recommends a sentence within the range of 48 to 120 months of imprisonment. His wife, Lindsey A. Cavazos, 32, also pled guilty today to a money laundering charge under a plea agreement that recommends a sentence of a five-year term of probation. Under the terms of their plea agreements, the couple is required to forfeit the proceeds of their drug trafficking and money laundering activities, including real estate, vehicles, cash, weapons, and jewelry, which are valued at more than $1,883,500.

 

Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division, and Special Agent in Charge Ismael Nevarez, Jr., of the Phoenix Field Office of IRS-Criminal Investigation, announced the guilty pleas.

 

Enrique and Lindsey Cavazos were arrested in Nov. 2015, after a federal grand jury filed a 26-count indictment charging them and six others with marijuana trafficking and money laundering charges. The indictment was the result of a two-year investigation by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation into a drug trafficking organization led by Enrique Cavazos that distributed high-grade marijuana throughout New Mexico and across the country. The investigation revealed that the Cavazos drug trafficking organization cultivated and purchased high-grade marijuana in California, distributed the marijuana throughout the country, and laundered its drug proceeds through a number of businesses and bank accounts in New Mexico.

 

According to the indictment, Enrique and Lindsey Cavazos and six co-conspirators participated in a marijuana trafficking conspiracy that existed from at least Jan. 2008 through Nov. 2015, and operated in the District of New Mexico and elsewhere. The indictment alleged that Enrique Cavazos operated his marijuana trafficking business by directing co-conspirators to purchase large quantities of marijuana in California and distribute the marijuana in New Mexico and other destinations across the country. It also alleged that Lindsey Cavazos was responsible for keeping the books on businesses she and her husband established with proceeds from their marijuana trafficking activities and for the purpose of laundering their drug proceeds. The indictment charged the couple with engaging in a money laundering conspiracy and using bank accounts in the names of several of their businesses, including a restaurant and a car dealership, to launder their drug proceeds.

 

The indictment was superseded in Aug. 2016, to add money laundering charges against three new defendants: Steven Becerra, 61, the owner of the Becerra Group Tax and Accounting Firm in Albuquerque, who previously was employed by the IRS for 18 years; Deborah Gutierrez, 54, who operated Automated Financial Technologies, which is no longer in business; and Glen F. Lucero, 65, a retired school teacher. superseding indictment also removed Felix Cavazos, Enrique Cavazos’s father who passed away after the original indictment was filed, from the list of defendants.

 

During today’s proceedings, Enrique Cavazos pled guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge and a money laundering conspiracy charge. In his plea agreement, Cavazos admitted participating in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana between Jan. 2008 and Nov. 2015, and acknowledged that the conspiracy included the cultivation, shipment and sale of marijuana to wholesalers and end-use customers. Enrique Cavazos also admitted conspiring with others from Jan. 2009 through Nov. 2015, to launder the cash proceeds from his marijuana distribution conspiracy, and engaging in numerous financial transactions using his drug proceeds, which were designed to conceal the nature, source and ownership of the illegal proceeds.

 

Lindsey Cavazos entered a guilty plea to a money laundering conspiracy charge. In her plea agreement, she admitted that from Jan. 2009 through Nov. 2015, she conspired with others to launder the cash proceeds from marijuana distribution. Like her husband, Lindsey Cavazos admitted engaging in numerous financial transactions using drug proceeds, which were designed to conceal the nature, source and ownership of the illegal proceeds.

 

As part of their plea agreements, the Cavazos are required to forfeit property derived, either directly or indirectly, from proceeds obtained from their drug trafficking and money laundering activities including:

• The Tijeras, N.M., residence of Enrique and Lindsey Cavazos, valued at $468,000;

• Two parcels of real property located on Grand Avenue in Las Vegas, N.M., valued at $227,032;

• A parcel of real property located on 12th Street in Las Vegas, N.M., valued at $42,500;

• A parcel of real property located on Grant Street in Las Vegas, N.M., valued at $50,000;

• A parcel of real estate located at 8th Street and Sperry Street in Las Vegas, N.M., valued at $229,000;

• The funds, totaling approximately $104,513.21, in nine bank accounts in the names of companies owned and controlled by Enrique and Lindsey Cavazos;

• 18 vehicles with an aggregate value of $177,500;

• Two Rolex watches valued at $35,600;

• Three pieces of sapphire and diamond jewelry owned by Lindsey Cavazos valued at $1,025.33;

• $473,040 in cash; and

• The fixtures and equipment from Café Bien, a restaurant formerly located on Central Avenue, SW, in Albuquerque, N.M., that was owned and operated by Enrique and Lindsey Cavazos.
   

Sentencing hearings for Enrique Cavazos, who is in custody, and Lindsey Cavazos, who is out on conditions of release, have yet to be scheduled.

 

The remaining eight defendants, who have entered not guilty pleas to the superseding indictment, are pending trial, which has yet to be scheduled. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

The investigation of this case was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. It was conducted by the Albuquerque offices of the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer M. Rozzoni is prosecuting the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kotz is handling the forfeiture matters.

 

Cavazos 2nd Superseding Indictment       Enrique Cavazos Plea Agreement       Lindsey Cavazos Plea Agreement

ALBUQUERQUE – Kayleb Reyos, 22, of Rio Rancho, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to heroin trafficking charges. His co-defendant, Joshua Greene, 19, of Albuquerque, N.M., previously entered a guilty plea to resolve the charges against him.

 

Reyos and Greene were arrested in May 2016, as the result of a DEA investigation into heroin and methamphetamine trafficking in northwest Albuquerque. According to the criminal complaint filed against them, Greene and Reyos sold an aggregate of 36 ounces (2.25 pounds) of heroin and 3 ounces (.18 pounds) of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent during a series of transactions occurring between Feb. 2016 and May 2016. The two men were arrested when the DEA executed a search warrant at a residence in northwest Albuquerque. During the search, the DEA seized an additional pound of heroin, bulk amounts of cash, a handgun, and drug paraphernalia.

 

Greene and Reyos subsequently were charged in a ten-count indictment filed on June 14, 2016. The indictment charged Greene and Reyos with conspiracy to distribute heroin from Feb. 2016 to May 2016. It also charged the two defendants with distributing heroin on Feb. 25, 2016, April 12, 2016, and May 4, 2016, and distributing methamphetamine on March 23, 2016. Greene separately was charged with distributing heroin on Feb. 4, 2016, March 9, 2016, and March 22, 2016, and possessing heroin with intent to distribute on May 17, 2016. Reyos separately was also charged with possessing heroin with intent to distribute on May 17, 2016.

 

During today’s proceedings, Reyos pled guilty to a felony information charging him with conspiracy and distribution of heroin. In entering the guilty plea, Reyos admitted that from Feb. 4, 2016 through May 17, 2016, he was part of a small-scale drug trafficking organization that operated in northwest Albuquerque. Reyos admitted that on April 12, 2016, he drove Greene to a parking lot in Albuquerque, where Greene sold approximately 423.8 grams of heroin to an undercover law enforcement agent.

 

On April 11, 2017, Greene pled guilty to a felony information charging him with conspiracy and distribution of heroin. In entering the guilty plea, Green admitted that from Feb. 4, 2016 through May 17, 2016, he directed a small-scale drug trafficking organization in northwest Albuquerque. Greene also admitted selling approximately 135.1 grams of heroin to an undercover law enforcement agent on March 22, 2016.

 

Reyos and Greene both remain in custody pending sentencing hearings, which have yet to be scheduled. Reyos faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Greene will be sentenced within the range of 60 to 87 months in federal prison. Each will be on supervised release for a term to be determined by the court after completing his prison sentence. Reyos and Greene jointly will be required to forfeit $28,135 in cash in addition to paying a money judgment in the amount of $28,250. In addition, Greene will have to forfeit a handgun and a gold necklace set with 1,728 natural diamonds valued at $11,555.

 

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristopher Houghton and Alexander Uballez are prosecuting the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, Albuquerque City Councilor Diane Gibson, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.

 

The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.

ALBUQUERQUE – Sho’Nee Ganadonegro, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to three years of probation for her conviction on a child abuse charge. Ganadonegro was also ordered to complete substance abuse counseling and childcare classes, and to refrain from the use of alcohol.

 

Ganadonegro was arrested in Jan. 2016, on an indictment charging her with engaging in child abuse by operating a motor vehicle recklessly on Nov. 1, 2015, in Indian Country in Cibola County, N.M.

 

On Jan. 3, 2017, Ganadonegro entered a guilty plea to the indictment. In entering the guilty plea, Ganadonegro admitted that on Nov. 1, 2015, she operated a motor vehicle recklessly within Laguna Pueblo while under the influence of alcohol. Ganadonegro admitted that her actions endangered the lives and health of the four Indian children who were passengers in the vehicle.

 

This case was investigated by the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Laguna Pueblo Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Spindle prosecuted the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Paul Raymond Garcia, 20, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 27 months in prison for his conviction on an involuntary manslaughter charge. Garcia will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.

 

Garcia was arrested in Jan. 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with involuntary manslaughter. According to the complaint, Garcia killed a Mescalero Apache woman when he crashed his vehicle on March 23, 2015, on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in Otero County, N.M. At the time of the crash, Garcia was driving under the influence of alcohol. Garcia was subsequently indicted on the same charge on June 22, 2016.

 

On Nov. 16, 2016, Garcia pled guilty to the indictment and admitted killing the victim by driving recklessly while under the influence of alcohol. Garcia acknowledged that the alcohol rendered him incapable of exercising clear judgment and a steady hand in operating the vehicle.

 

This case was investigated by the Mescalero Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the New Mexico State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.

ALBUQUERQUE – Marshall J. Cheromiah, the former supervisor at the Laguna Pueblo Superette, was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to three months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for embezzling funds belonging to the Pueblo of Laguna. Cheromiah was also ordered to pay $21,758 in restitution to the Laguna Development Corporation and to perform 40 hours of community service.

 

Cheromiah, 32, of Mesita, N.M., was charged in an indictment filed on Nov. 5, 2015, with embezzling approximately $48,953.47 from the Pueblo of Laguna. According to the indictment, Cheromiah was working as an employee or agent of an Indian Tribal Organization when he committed the crime between July 2013 and Oct. 2014, in Cibola County, N.M.

 

On Feb. 7, 2017, Cheromiah pled guilty to the indictment. In entering the guilty plea, Cheromiah acknowledged that from July 2013 through Oct. 2014, he was employed as a supervisor at the Laguna Pueblo Superette, which is owned by the Laguna Development Corporation and the Pueblo of Laguna. Cheromiah admitted that while he was employed at the Laguna Pueblo Superette, he embezzled approximately $48,953.47 belonging to the Pueblo of Laguna.

 

Court filings indicate that Cheromiah was responsible for supervising the operation of the ATM machine and ordering cash deliveries from the Bank of Albuquerque for stocking the ATM with cash. In his plea agreement, Cheromiah admitted that, when the Bank delivered cash for the ATM, he would skim or siphon approximately $10,000 or $20,000 for himself, which he used for gambling, paying off loans for friends, and a pleasure trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Laguna Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers prosecuted the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Two residents of El Paso, Tex., were sentenced in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., for convictions arising out of the seizure of six kilograms (13.2 pounds) of cocaine at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near Alamogordo, N.M., in Oct. 2016. Ever Omar Valdez, 26, was sentenced to 33 months in prison and his co-defendant Javier Cruz, 27, was sentenced yesterday to 33 months in prison. Each will serve a two year term of supervised release after completing their prison sentences.

 

Valdez and Cruz were arrested in Oct. 2016, on a criminal complaint charging them with possessing approximately six kilograms of cocaine in Otero County, N.M. According to the complaint, Valdez and Cruz were arrested on Oct. 6, 2016, after U.S. Border Patrol agents at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near Alamogordo seized approximately six kilograms of cocaine that was concealed in the vehicle in which Valdez and Cruz were traveling.

 

On Jan. 11, 2017, Valdez and Cruz each entered guilty pleas to a felony information charging them with conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute. Valdez and Cruz each admitted that on Oct. 6, 2016, they entered the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 54 in a vehicle containing six kilograms of cocaine concealed inside the vehicle’s rear bumper, which was found by Border Patrol agents during a routine inspection. Valdez and Cruz admitted knowing that the cocaine was in the vehicle and that they intended to deliver the cocaine to others in exchange for money.

 

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA and the U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clara N. Cobos of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Devell Devoual, 35, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office

 

Devoual and co-defendants Dwayne Cunningham, 49, and Cedric Laneham, 39, were charged as the result of an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. The investigation began in mid-April 2016, when ATF personnel from throughout the country joined forces with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to combat the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The investigators utilized a number of investigative techniques, including undercover operations, historical investigation and targeting of multi-convicted felons in possession of firearms.

 

The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

 

Devoual and his co-defendants were arrested in July 2016, on an indictment charging them with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine between May 16, 2016 and June 2, 2016. The indictment also charged Devoual and Laneham with distributing methamphetamine on May 17, 2016; and Devoual and Cunningham with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute on June 2, 2016. According to the indictment, the defendants committed the offenses in Bernalillo County, N.M.

 

During today’s proceedings, Devoual pled guilty to an information charging him with distribution of methamphetamine and admitted distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine on May 17, 2016. At sentencing, Devoual faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

 

To date, 51 of the 104 defendants have entered guilty pleas, including Cunningham, and 18 have been sentenced. The remaining defendants, including Laneham, have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.

 

These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Walsh and Norman Cairns.

ALBUQUERQUE – Darwin Neal Kinzhuma, 52, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 81 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction on a sexual abuse charge. Kinzhuma will also be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.

 

Kinzhuma was arrested on March 23, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with sexually abusing a Mescalero Apache woman on June 28, 2015, on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in Otero County, N.M. Kinzhuma was subsequently indicted on the same charge on Aug. 17, 2016.

 

On Dec. 21, 2017, Kinzhuma pled guilty to the indictment charging him with aggravated sexual abuse. In entering the guilty plea, Kinzhuma admitted that on June 28, 2015, he sexually abused the victim on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation.

 

This case was investigated by the Mescalero Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.

 

The case was brought pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.

ALBUQUERQUE – Lewis Templeton, 62, of Eunice, N.M., was sentenced this afternoon in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 46 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for violating the federal firearms laws.

 

Templeton was arrested on May 4, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with possessing an unregistered firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm on Nov. 3, 2015, in Lea County, N.M. According to the complaint, on Nov. 3, 2015, law enforcement officers found two rifles and ammunition while executing a search warrant at Templeton’s residence. A search of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) confirmed that one of the firearms, a sawed-off rifle, was not registered with the NFRTR.

 

According to court documents, Templeton was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of a number of felony offenses. Templeton’s criminal history includes a conviction for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

 

On Sept. 26, 2016, Templeton pled guilty to a felony information charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. In entering the guilty plea, Templeton admitted that on Nov. 3 2015, he possessed two firearms and ammunition even though he was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.

 

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis A. Martinez of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Paul Keenahan, 45, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced on Friday afternoon, May 19, 2017, in federal court to 60 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for his conviction on child pornography charges. Keenhan also was ordered to pay $11,000 in restitution to the victims of his crimes. Keenahan will also be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.

 

Keenahan was arrested in Sept. 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with distributing child pornography in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to court filings, the investigation into began in July 2015, when the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received a tip about an IP address that was being used to share child pornography. Investigation revealed that the IP address was subscribed to a motel on Candelaria Road NE in Albuquerque, where it was being used by , who was then employed by and living at the motel.

 

Law enforcement officers executed a state search warrant at Keenahan’s home on July 23, 2015, and seized a laptop computer containing files consistent with child pornography. Keenahan was arrested on state charges that day. A forensic examination of Keenahan’s laptop computer revealed that it contained more than 10,000 files of child pornography.

 

Keenahan was indicted on Oct. 7, 2015, and charged with three counts of distribution of child pornography and three counts of possession of child pornography.

 

On Nov. 2, 2016, Keenahan pled guilty to three counts of possession of child pornography. In entering the guilty plea, Keenahan admitted that from Feb. 14, 2012 through July 23, 2015, he possessed electronic devices containing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Keenahan further admitted the following:

• From Nov. 2014 through July 2015, he possessed a computer containing approximately 1,010 video files and 8,949 images of child pornography;

• From Aug. 2014 through July 2015, he possessed an external hard drive that contained approximately 58 video files and 1,530 images of child pornography; and

• From Feb. 2012 through July 2015, he possessed six DVDs containing approximately 170 videos and images of child pornography.

   

This case was investigated by the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Albuquerque office of the FBI, Office of the New Mexico Attorney General, the U.S. Marshals Service and the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York.

 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

 

The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.

ALBUQUERQUE – Daniel Arushanov, 24, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to possession of a firearm while under a domestic violence restraining order.

 

Arushanov was arrested in Jan. 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition on Nov. 9, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the complaint, on that day, University of New Mexico (UNM) police officers arrested Arushanov for carrying a firearm and ammunition while on the UNM campus. Court documents indicate that a routine check of criminal and judicial databases revealed that in Nov. 2016, Arushanov was the subject of an order of protection issued by the Superior Court of California in Sacrament County, Calif., on Sept. 15, 2015, to protect Arushanov’s former wife and her immediate family members.

 

Arushanov was indicted on Feb. 7, 2017, and charged with two counts of possession of firearms and ammunition while under a domestic violence restraining order. According to the indictment, the restraining order explicitly prohibited Arushanov from possessing firearms or ammunition.

 

During today’s proceedings, Arushanov pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm while under a domestic violence restraining order. In entering the guilty plea, Arushanov admitted that on Nov. 9, 2016, he possessed a firearm and ammunition while he was subject to a court order that restrained Arushanov from harassing, stalking or threatening an intimate partner.

 

At sentencing, Arushanov faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Arushanov remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the UNM Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Kraehe is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Texas, and Chief Gorden E. Eden, Jr., of the Albuquerque Police Department announced the indictment of three residents of Albuquerque, N.M., on commercial sex trafficking offenses.

 

The indictment charges Cornelius Galloway, 34, Danielle Galloway, 43, and Matthew Woods, 28, with conspiracy, commercial sex trafficking and commercial sex trafficking of a minor. Cornelius Galloway and Danielle Galloway were arrested on May 17, 2017. Danielle Galloway made her initial appearance yesterday and was arraigned on the indictment this morning, entering a not guilty plea. Danielle Galloway was ordered detained pending trial during this morning’s proceedings. Cornelius Galloway made his initial appearance this morning in federal court and remains detained pending arraignment and detention hearings scheduled for May 22, 2017. Woods is in state custody on unrelated state charges; he will be transferred to federal custody for an arraignment hearing scheduled on May 30, 2017.

 

The four-count indictment charges the Galloways and Woods with participating in a conspiracy to engage in commercial sex trafficking by using force, threats, fraud and coercion. It also charges the three defendants with commercial sex trafficking and commercial sex trafficking of a minor. Woods also is charged with attempting to recruit a victim to engage in a commercial sex act. The Galloways and Woods allegedly committed the crimes charged in Bernalillo County, N.M., between Oct. 2016 and May 2017.

 

According to the indictment, the three defendants were members of a criminal sex trafficking organization allegedly led by Cornelius Galloway. The indictment alleges that Cornelius Galloway and Danielle Galloway promoted the organization’s commercial sex services by advertising on various websites between Oct. 2016 and May 2017. The indictment further alleges that the defendants forced a victim to engage in commercial sex acts from Oct. 2016 to Nov. 2016, and employed a minor victim to work as a prostitute for a two-week period in March and April 2017, for the financial benefit of the organization.

 

The indictment also alleges that members of the conspiracy murdered two individuals to further the objectives of the criminal sex trafficking organization. According to the indictment, two members of the conspiracy, identified as John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, murdered a victim, identified as D.Y., on Jan. 15, 2017. John Doe 1 also allegedly murdered a second victim, identified as T.S. on that same day. The victims allegedly were murdered at the direction of Cornelius Galloway because their activities were contrary to the objectives of the criminal sex trafficking organization.

 

If convicted of the crimes charged in the indictment, Cornelius Galloway, Danielle Galloway and Woods each face a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Charges in indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Albuquerque Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman Cairns.

ALBUQUERQUE – Jonathan Abeita, 23, an enrolled member of the Isleta Pueblo who resides in Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to assault charges, including an assault on a federal officer charge. The plea agreement recommends that Abeita be sentenced to 17 months of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

 

Abeita was arrested on March 8, 2017, on an indictment charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault on a federal officer. According to the indictment, Abeita committed the crimes on Aug. 13, 2016, on Isleta Pueblo in Valencia County, N.M.

 

During today’s proceedings, Abeita pled guilty to the indictment. In his plea agreement, Abeita admitted that on Aug. 13, 2016, he assaulted one victim, an Indian woman, by threatening her and punching her, causing her bottom teeth to become loose. Abeita also admitted that when tribal police officers responded to a call from the victim, he assaulted a tribal police officer who was commissioned as a Special Federal Officer by the BIA with a hatchet. Abeita remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the Isleta Pueblo Tribal Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy B. Solimon as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native American women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.

ALBUQUERQUE – Tabitha Marie Ochoa, 29, of Nogales, Ariz., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a heroin trafficking charge.

 

Tabitha Marie Ochoa and co-defendant Maryhelen Princess Ochoa, 32, also of Nogales, Ariz., were arrested in Feb. 2017, after law enforcement officers found nine bundles of heroin weighing 2387 grams (5.26 pounds) in their vehicle during a routine traffic stop. According to the complaint, the traffic stop took place on Jan. 30 and 31, 2017, in Cibola County, N.M.

 

During today’s proceedings, Tabitha Marie Ochoa pled guilty to an information charging her with possession of heroin with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Tabitha Marie Ochoa admitted possessing the heroin seized from the vehicle in which she was traveling on Jan. 31, 2017. Tabitha Marie Ochoa admitted that she was being paid to deliver the heroin to another person.

 

At sentencing, Tabitha Marie Ochoa faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. She remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

 

Maryhelen Princess Ochoa remains in custody pending presentation of the case against her to a grand jury. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.

 

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Y. Ramirez is prosecuting this case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.

 

The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.

ALBUQUERQUE – Carlos Vasquez, 47, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to drug trafficking and firearms charges under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office

 

Vasquez was arrested during an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. The investigation began in mid-April 2016, when ATF personnel from throughout the country joined forces with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to combat the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The investigators utilized a number of investigative techniques, including undercover operations, historical investigation and targeting of multi-convicted felons in possession of firearms.

 

The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

 

Vasquez was charged in a three-count indictment filed on June 14, 2016, with distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine on May 26, 2016 and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on June 1, 2016. According to the indictment, Vasquez committed the crimes in Bernalillo County. In June 2016, Vasquez was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of aggravated battery on a household member, attempted armed robbery, and abandonment or abuse of a child.

 

During today’s proceedings, Vasquez pled guilty to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In entering the guilty plea, Vasquez admitted that on May 26, 2016, he sold methamphetamine to an individual working with law enforcement. Vasquez also admitted that on June 1, 2016, he gave a firearm and ammunition to an undercover law enforcement agent. Vasquez acknowledged that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.

 

At sentencing, Vasquez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Vasquez remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

 

To date, 50 of the 104 defendants have entered guilty pleas, and 18 have been sentenced. The remaining defendants have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.

 

These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez.

ALBUQUERQUE - The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) today announced that Albuquerque, N.M., has been selected as the seventh pilot city to be part of the DEA’s comprehensive law enforcement and prevention “360 Strategy” to help cities dealing with the heroin and prescription opioid abuse epidemic and crime associated with drug trafficking and abuse. Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean R. Waite of the DEA Albuquerque District Office made the announcement during a press conference at the Boys and Girls Club of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

 

Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Larson of the UNM Health Sciences Center, partners in the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative, Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, City Councilor Diane Gibson, Executive Director Jennifer Weiss-Burke of Healing Addiction in our Community, and representatives of other community stakeholders joined Assistant Special Agent in Charge Waite in launching the DEA 360 Strategy in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.

 

“This comprehensive strategy leverages and expands existing federal, state and local partnerships, including the HOPE Initiative, to address New Mexico’s opioid epidemic on several different fronts – law enforcement, prescription drug control, drug education, prevention and treatment,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Waite.

 

The DEA 360 Strategy responds to the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic with an innovative three-pronged approach to combating heroin and opioid use through: (1) coordinated law enforcement action targeting all levels of drug trafficking organizations; (2) engaging drug manufacturers, practitioners and pharmacists to increase awareness of the opioid epidemic and encourage responsible prescribing practices throughout the medical community; and (3) community outreach and partnerships to equip and empower communities to fight the opioid epidemic. DEA first rolled out the 360 Strategy in Nov. 2015 in Pittsburgh, Penn. Albuquerque is the seventh city selected to participate in the Strategy.

 

The first component of the DEA 360 Strategy is premised on DEA’s traditional enforcement model that targets cartels and drug distributors who fuel the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic in our communities. In Albuquerque, DEA will continue to execute the enforcement component by relying and expanding on its many law enforcement partnerships. While law enforcement plays a central role in the 360 Strategy, DEA recognizes that enforcement actions alone are not enough to make lasting changes in our communities.

 

The second component of the DEA 360 Strategy involves collaboration with healthcare providers and health organizations to facilitate discussions and develop solutions to prevent prescription opioid abuse, which continues to drive our devastating heroin epidemic. National studies reveal that 80% of all new heroin users started their addictions with prescription painkillers and national statistics show that more than 35,000 people die every year as the result of heroin or prescription opioid overdoses. The 360 Strategy focuses on preventing pharmaceutical drug diversion by providing education and training within the medical and pharmaceutical community.

 

The third component of the Strategy seeks to enable communities to find long-term solutions to their drug problems by expanding and leveraging partnerships, both nationally and locally, in drug education, drug prevention and drug treatment. Drug education and prevention efforts are supremely important because they give us the tools and knowledge to remain drug free. DEA and its community partners will form a community alliance comprised of leaders from law enforcement, prevention and treatment advocates, the judicial system, education, business, government, civic organizations, faith communities, media, social services and others, will help carry the important prevention and treatment messages to the Albuquerque and Bernalillo County community.

 

DEA and the HOPE Initiative partners will work with the Justice Department’s Violence Reduction Network, U.S. Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Centers for Disease Control, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), Boys and Girls Club of New Mexico, the National Guard, the City of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Albuquerque Public Schools, the Elks Club and many other community stakeholders under the DEA 360 Strategy to turn the tide on the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic and the tragedy it brings to Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.

 

The DEA 360 Strategy augments DEA’s active and continuing participation in the HOPE Initiative, which was launched in Jan. 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic that has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, Bernalillo County, the City of Albuquerque, Healing Addiction in our Community and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning.

 

Learn more about the 360 Strategy at https://www.dea.gov/prevention/360-strategy/360-strategy.shtml. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.

 

ALBUQUERQUE – Brenda Riveroll, 36, of El Paso, Texas, pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to selling drug paraphernalia. The plea agreement recommends that Riveroll be sentenced to a five-year term of probation.

 

Riveroll was arrested on April 3, 2017, on an indictment charging her with selling drug paraphernalia. The indictment charged Riveroll with selling drug paraphernalia on May 3, 2016, and offering to sell drug paraphernalia on May 12, 2016. According to the indictment, Riveroll committed the crimes in Dona Ana County, N.M.

 

During today’s change of plea hearing, Riveroll pled guilty to the indictment. In her plea agreement, Riveroll acknowledged that she was the owner and sole employee of “The Smoke Shop,” located on Palomas Court in Sunland Park, N.M. Riveroll admitted that on May 3, 2016, she sold two pipes, designed for and intended for use in smoking marijuana, to undercover law enforcement officers. Riveroll also admitted that on May 3, 2016, and May 12, 2016, she had a large inventory of drug paraphernalia for sale at her place of business. The plea agreement states that on May 12, 2016, law enforcement officers searched “The Smoke Shop” and seized 1,409 assorted smoking instruments, including bongs, glass pipes and metal pipes, 80 grinders for grinding marijuana, and five scales for weighing controlled substances. Riveroll admitted knowing that the merchandise she sold and offered for sale at “The Smoke Shop” was likely to be used with illegal drugs.

 

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brock E. Taylor of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.

ALBUQUERQUE – Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean R. Waite of the DEA Albuquerque District Office will hold a press conference at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 17, 2017, to announce the launch of DEA’s 360 Strategy in Albuquerque, N.M. DEA’s 360 Strategy is an innovative approach to help cities deal with the heroin and prescription drug epidemic and its associated crime. Albuquerque is the seventh city selected to participate in the 360 Strategy. Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Larson of the UNM Health Sciences Center, partners in the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative, Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, City Councilor Diane E. Gibson, Executive Director Jennifer Weiss-Burke of Healing Addiction in our Community, and representatives of other community stakeholders will join Assistant Special Agent in Charge Waite in making the announcement.

 

WHO:

Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean R. Waite, DEA Albuquerque District Office

Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney

Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Larson, UNM Health Sciences Center

Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, District 3

City Councilor Diane E. Gibson, District 7

Executive Director Jennifer Weiss-Burke, Healing Addiction in our Community

Tim Sheahan, President/CEO, Boys and Girls Club of New Mexico

Susan McKee, Manager, Prevention/Intervention Counselors, Albuquerque Public Schools

Jack Ming, District Drug Awareness Chairman, New Mexico Elks Organization

Carlton Hall, Deputy Director Training & Technical Assistance, CADCA

Lt. Colonel Gabriel Vargas, New Mexico National Guard

Deputy Chief Eric Garcia, Albuquerque Police Department

Under Sheriff Greg Rees, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office

 

WHEN:

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017, 11:00 A.M.

 

WHERE:

Boys and Girls Club of New Mexico

3333 Truman Ave. NE

Albuquerque, N.M., 87110

OPEN PRESS

 

NOTE: All media must present valid media credentials. Media may begin to arrive at 10:30 a.m. Inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Alyssa Ferda at 505-224-1480 or alyssa.ferda@usdoj.gov.

 

DEA’s 360 Strategy responds to the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic with an innovative three-pronged approach to combating heroin and opioid use through: (1) coordinated law enforcement action targeting all levels of drug trafficking organizations; (2) engaging drug manufacturers, practitioners and pharmacists to increase awareness of the opioid epidemic and encourage responsible prescribing practices throughout the medical community; and (3) community outreach and partnerships to equip and empower communities to fight the opioid epidemic. DEA first rolled out the 360 Strategy in Nov. 2015 in Pittsburgh; Albuquerque, N.M., is the seventh city selected to participate in the Strategy. Learn more about the 360 Strategy at https://www.dea.gov/prevention/360-strategy/360-strategy.shtml.

 

The 360 Strategy augments DEA’s active and continuing participation in the HOPE Initiative, which was launched in Jan. 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic that has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, Bernalillo County, the City of Albuquerque, Healing Addiction in our Community and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.

 

ALBUQUERQUE – Erika Jimenez, 31, of Deming, N.M., was sentenced Friday, May 12, 2017, in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for her methamphetamine trafficking conviction.

 

Jimenez was arrested on July 17, 2016, on an indictment charging her with distribution of methamphetamine on July 22, 2015, and Nov. 9, 2015, in Luna County, N.M. The indictment included forfeiture provisions requiring Jimenez to forfeit $1,750 to the United States.

 

On Oct. 15, 2016, Jimenez pled guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine and admitted that on July 22, 2015, she distributed approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine to an individual working with law enforcement.

 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark A. Saltman and Dustin C. Segovia of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.

ALBUQUERQUE – Jonathan Griego, 27, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office

 

Griego and his co-defendants Richard Porras, 30 and Jesus Ramirez, 26, were arrested during an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. The investigation began in mid-April 2016, when ATF personnel from throughout the country joined forces with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to combat the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The investigators utilized a number of investigative techniques, including undercover operations, historical investigation and targeting of multi-convicted felons in possession of firearms.

 

The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

 

Griego, Ramirez and Porras were arrested in Aug. 2016, on separate criminal complaints charging them with drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The three were subsequently charged together in a nine-count indictment filed on Aug. 9, 2016. The indictment charged Porras and Griego with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. It also charged Porras with distributing methamphetamine on three occasions, carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm; and Ramirez with possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute, carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

 

During today’s proceedings, Griego pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Griego admitted that on Aug. 4, 2016, Griego possessed methamphetamine with the intent distribute the methamphetamine to an individual who unbeknownst to him was an undercover ATF agent. At sentencing, Griego faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

 

To date, 49 of the 104 defendants including Porras and Ramirez have entered guilty pleas, and 18 have been sentenced. The remaining defendants, have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.

 

These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers.

ALBUQUERQUE – John Michael Carrillo, 27, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to an assault charge. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Carrillo will be sentenced to 21 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

 

Carrillo was arrested on Dec. 17, 2016, on a criminal complaint alleging that he assaulted a Mescalero Apache woman on Dec. 2, 2016, on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in Otero County, N.M., and that the victim suffered serious bodily injury as a result of the assault. According to the complaint, Carrillo assaulted the victim by throwing the victim to the floor and stomping on the victim’s face causing her to suffer a broken jaw, which required surgery.

 

During today’s proceedings, Carrillo pled guilty to a felony information charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. In entering the guilty plea, Carrillo admitted that on Dec. 2, 2016, he assaulted the victim by stomping on her face. Carrillo acknowledged that the victim suffered a fractured jaw as the result of the assault, which required surgical repair. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated the Mescalero Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native American women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.

ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury sitting in Albuquerque, N.M., returned a verdict yesterday afternoon finding Albuquerque resident, Sandra Cook, 53, guilty on methamphetamine trafficking charges after a three-day trial. Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Texas, and Sheriff Manuel Gonzales, III, of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), announced the verdict.

 

Cook was arrested on Feb. 24, 2016, on an indictment charging her with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute on June 30, 2015. The indictment was superseded on Feb. 28, 2017, and added a second methamphetamine trafficking charge alleging that Cook also possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Feb. 24, 2016. According to the superseding indictment, Cook committed the crimes in Bernalillo County, N.M.

 

Cook’s trial began on May 8, 2017, and concluded yesterday afternoon when the jury returned a guilty verdict against Cook on both counts of the superseding indictment.

 

The testimony at trial established that on June 30, 2015, BCSO officers executed a search warrant at Cook’s residence where they seized multiple bundles of methamphetamine weighing approximately 3.2 kilograms (7.2 pounds) and over $22,000 in cash. Following the filing of charges against her based on the methamphetamine seizure, Cook evaded capture by law enforcement and the BCSO and HSI conducted an investigation to find her

 

Other evidence introduced during the trial included the testimony of HSI agents establishing that in Feb. 2016, HSI used a court-authorized GPS tracker and data from Cook’s cell phone to locate Cook at a residence in Albuquerque. On Feb. 24, 2016, agents executed a search warrant at that residence where they located Cook standing near a kitchen table on which an open tool bag was sitting. The tool bag contained her driver’s license and a bag of 100% pure methamphetamine weighing approximately 441.6 grams.

 

The jury deliberated approximately one hour before returning its guilty verdict.

 

Cook was remanded into custody after the verdict was returned and will remain detained pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, Cook faces a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison.

 

This case was investigated by HSI and BCSO and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander M. Uballez and Peter J. Eicker.

ALBUQUERQUE – Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Texas, announced the filing of an indictment against two U.S. citizens and four Chinese nationals on charges arising out of an alleged scheme to obtain immigration status for foreign nationals through fraudulent marriages.

 

The indictment charges Yi Lee, 44, a naturalized U.S. citizen who had been residing in Santa Fe, N.M., Santiago Aveles, 31, of Las Cruces, N.M., and Chia-Jung Chang, 39, Dan Zheng, 32, Lian Xiang Deng, 42, and Xiao-Yin Le, 50, who are Chinese nationals illegally in the United States, with participating in a conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. It also charges Aveles and Zheng with committing marriage fraud for the purpose of evading the federal immigration laws.

 

Aveles, Chang, Zheng, and Deng, who were arrested last week, were arraigned in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., this afternoon. Each entered a not guilty plea during this afternoon’s arraignment hearings. The three Chinese nationals were ordered detained pending trial and Aveles was released under pretrial supervision and other conditions of release. The fifth and sixth defendants, Yi Lee and Xiao-Yan Le, have yet to be arrested and are considered fugitives.

 

The indictment alleges that from June 2016 through March 2017, the six defendants conspired to obtain immigration status for foreign nationals by committing marriage fraud. The scheme allegedly involved having utilizing U.S. citizens enter into fraudulent marriages with foreign nationals in return for financial gain. Lee allegedly facilitated the conspiracy by arranging meetings between foreign nationals and U.S. citizens in order to obtain marriage licenses, working permits and green cards for the foreign nationals who paid Lee and the U.S. citizens. According to the indictment, Lee allegedly attempted to arrange fraudulent marriages between certain of his co-defendants and undercover law enforcement agents.

 

If convicted of the charges in the indictment, each of the defendants faces a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment on the conspiracy charge, and Avelez and Zheng each face a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment on the marriage fraud charge. Charges in indictments are merely accusations, and all criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of HSI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin C. Segovia of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.

ALBUQUERQUE – Yvon Juteau, 32, a non-Indian man who resides in Rancho de Taos, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an assault charge. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Juteau will be sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

 

Juteau was arrested on Sept. 23, 2016, on an indictment charging him with assaulting an Indian man and woman resulting in serious bodily injury on July 10, 2013, on Taos Pueblo in Taos County, N.M.

 

During today’s proceedings, Juteau pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on July 10, 2013, he drove a motor vehicle recklessly, causing a crash that seriously injured an Indian woman. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Taos Pueblo Tribal Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Spindle.